Richard Price (poet)
Encyclopedia
Richard Price is a contemporary Scottish poet, novelist, and translator.
.
He studied at Napier College, in journalism, and graduated the University of Strathclyde
in English and Librarianship, with a joint
first.
He earned a PhD at University of Strathclyde.
He is a lyricist and vocalist in the band Mirabeau.
His translations include the Guillaume Apollinaire
poems in Eftirs / Afters (with Donny O'Rourke, Au Quai, 1996) and the Louise Labé
poems in Lute Variations (Rack Press, 2005).
In the 1990s he co-edited the poetry magazines Gairfish (with W. N. Herbert
), Verse (with Robert Crawford, Henry Hart, David Kinloch, and others) and Southfields (with Raymond Friel). At this time he also ran the poetry publisher Vennel Press with Leona Medlin, publishing books by W.N. Herbert, Elizabeth James, David Kinloch, Peter McCarey, Medlin and Price themselves, and others. He was one of the group associated with Informationist poetry
, coining the phrase. He introduced Informationist ideas in 1991 in the magazine Interference and, later, in his introduction to the anthology of Informationist poetry Contraflow on the Superhighway, co-edited with Herbert (Gairfish and Southfields, 1994). He currently edits the magazine Painted, spoken.
From 2003 to 2010 he was Head of Modern British Collections at the British Library
, London, curating exhibitions that included Ted Hughes
: The Page is Printed (2004) and The Possibility of Poetry: From Migrant magazine to artists' books (2007). He has written on the history of the modern literary magazine
in the United Kingdom, co-authoring with David Miller British Poetry Magazines 1914-2000: A History and Bibliography of 'Little Magazines (British Library, 2006).
Lucky Day was shortlisted for the Whitbread prize.
Rays (Carcanet), containing many love poems as well as variations on the sonnets and canzone of Louise Labé
and Guido Cavalcanti
was shortlisted for a Scottish Book Award.
In 2010 he published The Island (Two Ravens Press) a novel about a father and young daughter who, as an act of revenge, steal a car. It draws on characters who first appeared in his short story collection A Boy in Summer (Neil Wilson / 11:9, 2002).
In 2011 the musical project for which he is the principle lyricist, Mirabeau, released its first album, Golden Key. Several of the songs are settings of poems from his earlier poetry collections while others are closer to rock and folk genres of songwriting. Mirabeau comprises Price (as lyricist and vocalist), the singer-songwriter Caroline Trettine and the musician Ian Kearey (of The Blue Aeroplanes
).
Life
He grew up in RenfrewshireRenfrewshire
Renfrewshire is one of 32 council areas used for local government in Scotland. Located in the west central Lowlands, it is one of three council areas contained within the boundaries of the historic county of Renfrewshire, the others being Inverclyde to the west and East Renfrewshire to the east...
.
He studied at Napier College, in journalism, and graduated the University of Strathclyde
University of Strathclyde
The University of Strathclyde , Glasgow, Scotland, is Glasgow's second university by age, founded in 1796, and receiving its Royal Charter in 1964 as the UK's first technological university...
in English and Librarianship, with a joint
Joint Honours
Joint Honours is a specific type of degree offered generally at the Honours Bachelor's degree level by certain universities in Ireland, the UK, Canada, Malta, and Australia...
first.
He earned a PhD at University of Strathclyde.
Career
He has worked with artists in sculpture, digital art, artist's books and music. His collaborators include Julie Johnstone, Simon Lewandowski, Karen Bleitz, Caroline Trettine and Ronald King.He is a lyricist and vocalist in the band Mirabeau.
His translations include the Guillaume Apollinaire
Guillaume Apollinaire
Wilhelm Albert Włodzimierz Apolinary Kostrowicki, known as Guillaume Apollinaire was a French poet, playwright, short story writer, novelist, and art critic born in Italy to a Polish mother....
poems in Eftirs / Afters (with Donny O'Rourke, Au Quai, 1996) and the Louise Labé
Louise Labé
Louise Labé, , also identified as La Belle Cordière, , was a female French poet of the Renaissance, born at Lyon, the daughter of a rich ropemaker, Pierre Charly, and his second wife, Etiennette Roybet...
poems in Lute Variations (Rack Press, 2005).
In the 1990s he co-edited the poetry magazines Gairfish (with W. N. Herbert
W. N. Herbert
W. N. Herbert, also known as Bill Herbert is a poet from Dundee, Scotland. He writes in both English and Scots. He and Richard Price founded the poetry magazine Gairfish. Educated at Brasenose College he currently teaches at Newcastle University...
), Verse (with Robert Crawford, Henry Hart, David Kinloch, and others) and Southfields (with Raymond Friel). At this time he also ran the poetry publisher Vennel Press with Leona Medlin, publishing books by W.N. Herbert, Elizabeth James, David Kinloch, Peter McCarey, Medlin and Price themselves, and others. He was one of the group associated with Informationist poetry
Informationist poetry
Informationist poetry was a literary movement of the 1990s in Scotland. The poets usually associated with this movement are: Richard Price – who coined the term in 1991 in the magazine Interference – Robert Crawford, W. N...
, coining the phrase. He introduced Informationist ideas in 1991 in the magazine Interference and, later, in his introduction to the anthology of Informationist poetry Contraflow on the Superhighway, co-edited with Herbert (Gairfish and Southfields, 1994). He currently edits the magazine Painted, spoken.
From 2003 to 2010 he was Head of Modern British Collections at the British Library
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
, London, curating exhibitions that included Ted Hughes
Ted Hughes
Edward James Hughes OM , more commonly known as Ted Hughes, was an English poet and children's writer. Critics routinely rank him as one of the best poets of his generation. Hughes was British Poet Laureate from 1984 until his death.Hughes was married to American poet Sylvia Plath, from 1956 until...
: The Page is Printed (2004) and The Possibility of Poetry: From Migrant magazine to artists' books (2007). He has written on the history of the modern literary magazine
Literary magazine
A literary magazine is a periodical devoted to literature in a broad sense. Literary magazines usually publish short stories, poetry and essays along with literary criticism, book reviews, biographical profiles of authors, interviews and letters...
in the United Kingdom, co-authoring with David Miller British Poetry Magazines 1914-2000: A History and Bibliography of 'Little Magazines (British Library, 2006).
Lucky Day was shortlisted for the Whitbread prize.
Rays (Carcanet), containing many love poems as well as variations on the sonnets and canzone of Louise Labé
Louise Labé
Louise Labé, , also identified as La Belle Cordière, , was a female French poet of the Renaissance, born at Lyon, the daughter of a rich ropemaker, Pierre Charly, and his second wife, Etiennette Roybet...
and Guido Cavalcanti
Guido Cavalcanti
Guido Cavalcanti was a Florentine poet, as well as an intellectual influence on his best friend, Dante. His poems in their original Italian are available on Wikisource .-Historical background:...
was shortlisted for a Scottish Book Award.
In 2010 he published The Island (Two Ravens Press) a novel about a father and young daughter who, as an act of revenge, steal a car. It draws on characters who first appeared in his short story collection A Boy in Summer (Neil Wilson / 11:9, 2002).
In 2011 the musical project for which he is the principle lyricist, Mirabeau, released its first album, Golden Key. Several of the songs are settings of poems from his earlier poetry collections while others are closer to rock and folk genres of songwriting. Mirabeau comprises Price (as lyricist and vocalist), the singer-songwriter Caroline Trettine and the musician Ian Kearey (of The Blue Aeroplanes
The Blue Aeroplanes
The Blue Aeroplanes are an English rock band from Bristol, the mainstays of which: Gerard Langley, brother John Langley and dancer Wojtek Dmochowski originate from the earlier New Wave “Art band” Art Objects .-History:...
).
Poetry
- Tube Shelter Perspective (Southfields, 1993)
- Marks & Sparks (Akros, 1995)
- Perfume & Petrol Fumes (Diehard, 1999)
- Lucky Day, Carcanet, 2004, ISBN 9781857547610
- Greenfields, Carcanet 2007, ISBN 9781857549201
- Rays, Carcanet 2009, ISBN 9781847770103
Non-fiction
- The Fabulous Matter of Fact: The Poetics of Neil M. GunnNeil M. GunnNeil Miller Gunn was a prolific novelist, critic, and dramatist who emerged as one of the leading lights of the Scottish Renaissance of the 1920s and 1930s...
Edinburgh University Press, 1991. ISBN 9780748602599 - David Miller, Richard Price (eds), British Poetry Magazines 1914-2000: A History and Bibliography (Oak Knoll Press/The British Library, 2006). ISBN 9781584561972
- David Kinloch, Richard Price (eds), La Nouvelle Alliance: influences francophone sur la littérature écossaise moderne (Ellug, 2000)
- James McGonigal, Richard Price (eds) The Star You Steer By: Basil BuntingBasil BuntingBasil Cheesman Bunting was a significant British modernist poet whose reputation was established with the publication of Briggflatts in 1966. He had a lifelong interest in music that led him to emphasise the sonic qualities of poetry, particularly the importance of reading poetry aloud...
and British Modernism (Rodopi, 2000).